Breach of TOS???
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Could someone help me please…?
I’ve already asked the support people for help… but no info yet :-(
I’ve received an email saying that my wife’s blog is in breach of TOS as there are links to her website.
The person quotes in their email parts of WordPress’s TOS,
“the Content … does not contain… content designed to drive traffic to third party sites or boost the search engine rankings of third party sites…”If my wife’s blog has links to her own website… is that considered to be “driving traffic to a 3rd party site?” and therefore in breach of WordPress’s TOS?
Hopefully someone here can help as WordPress don’t seem to have the time to reply to my earlier request for help with this.
Thanks
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1 link to her site in each post.
10 posts on the front page.
1 link in the sidebar.11 links to one site.
I suggest losing the links in the posts and leaving the one in the sidebar.
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hmmmm… maybe then I should lose the links from her website to her WordPress blog too…
Thanks
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Art
As I answered in the other thread (kinda) there’s no need to remove the links to the blog from the website. On the website the content is under your (or your wife’s) control.
Here at wp.com lots of links to the same place is known as spamming or link blogging where the blog is primarily used to drive traffic to a third party website.
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Hi Cornell. Removing the links from ym wife’s website to her blog here at WordPress… after all… if I can only put **1** link back to her site… why should I promote WordPress **from** her site?
Anyway… looking for an alternative blog site as I’ve found plenty of blogs here at WordPress that have **more** than 1 link to various websites.
Looks like Turdpress want to make an example of
http://gardendesigneruk.wordpress.com/
for some reason. -
But on *your* site you’re not promoting wp.com, you’re promoting the blog itself.
I’ve got to be honest and say (in a somewhat biased manner) that I think you’ll find wp is the best software to be using. Yes, it has limitations as you’ve already encountered but it’s much better than most others out there.
WP.com isn’t making an example of your blog. Many many blogs have been killed without warning for linking to third party sites. If you want evidence simply do a search on “blog deleted” or “TOS” or “Terms of service” in the search box.
Mark has actually been quite kind and sent email rather than just killing the blog off. I think he must have been in a good mood this morning.
Linking other sites isn’t a problem (I don’t think), what was breaking the TOS was the link back to the website in every post. I would (really I would) accept Mark’s generosity in emailing first and keep using wp.com until you find something you truly believe is a better option.
Collin
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I’m with Collin on this. I think Mark has made the appropriate call because wordpress.com blogs are non-commercial free blogs. They are different from wordpress.org blogs and different rules apply to them. There is an exception but unless you intend to attempt to qualify and pay for a VIP blog along with other very notable bloggers like Robert Scoble, etc. I’m afraid that is your answer. http://wordpress.com/blog/2006/09/24/vip-blogs/
http://wordpress.com/vip-hosting/
However do not despair for if a single link in the sidebar to your commercial website isn’t enough and you truly wish to have a commercial blog laden with linked advertising to your commercial website in every post as well as a advert laden header and the sidebar link then your desire can be accommodated via http://wordpress.org. There you can either download a free blog template that you self host or you can hire a web host to do this for you. -
just a bit of devil’s advocacy here.
there’s very little in the way of quantifiable distinction between the ‘commercial’ blog in question here, and my blog. i link to my own site in the sidebar, and i link to my own site on a fairly regular basis.
now, i intentionally provide information that’s valuable on its own merits in my wordpress.com blog, and use links to my own site as reference, but that distinction could be spelled out more clearly in the TOS.
and i know you think you’re being even handed in who you’re telling to take down links, but you’re not. you’ve got a blind spot for web 2.0 companies (not surprisingly) example of a company with regular links to a commercial site in posts and sidebar. Why doesn’t darwin get the boot and the nasty notes?
I know you don’t want wordpress.com full of sploggers using the service to hawk affiliate links, but i would think that business owners blogging about their business would be a benefit to your service. that’s just my opinion though. it’s your prerogative to disagree, but if you do, you should be very specific on the type and number of links that are allowed.
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@kamel
So the link you provided to the blog above reveals a single link back to the blogger’s commercial website in the sidebar – no problem. In fact this wordpress.com site doesn’t look very “commercial” to me. There is no tacky I’m in your face selling you my stuff and services type advertising in the header. And there aren’t links to the same commercial site over and over again in each and every blog post. But I think your point is really about including a specific number in the ToS.(1) IMO “About” and/or “Contact” pages can be perfect places for a single link to a commercial website. These locations are preferable to links back to a commercial website in every post which IMO is tacky overkill that screams amateurish business promotion to me.
(2) And when it comes to sidebar linked adverts, one may be a lonely number but I’m hoping it remains the only number.;)
The point I was making above is that wordpress has two options and if these folks had read the pink sticky at the head of the forum entitled “please read me first before posting” they may have chosen differently http://wordpress.com/forums/topic.php?id=3700&replies=1
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“i would think that business owners blogging about their business would be a benefit to your service.”
True. But we have half a million blogs almost and no matter how you look at it there has to be a rule.
How about the owner of a porn site linking in every post to his sex domain. Would that be okay? It could be legal. He would be the owner.
How about the owner of a car selling business? A house-builder?As for Web2.0 – I really don’t care. If someone takes the time to fill a report and send it in we look at it.
I’ve said this before many times here – I’m trying to be more human about this and less “This is what it says” because even if it DID say something then a rule might be bent for someone / your friend / a worthy cause. If it’s vague then it’s to benefit not penalise.
And 1 link is 1 link.
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I personally don’t see the difference between leaving a link at the end of each blog to a simple “sign off” or signature.
As for
“… But on *your* site you’re not promoting wp.com, you’re promoting the blog itself…”… with all due respect, this particular blog is on WordPress and because of this particular blog I know for a fact that people have signed up with WordPress after reading this blog… the people who had originally come from my wife’s website… quid pro pro? … Obviously not!
Still, I can’t help feeling that there are other… let’s say “more dubious” blogs that WordPress could have made an example of instead of being heavy handed with this one.
Shame on them!
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Leaving aside the blog promotion bit, if there’s blogs that you feel are objectionable that you find while wandering around wp.com you can always report them. If you’re logged in there’s normally a “report as spam” and “report as mature” link in the blue nav bar at the top under “blog info”.
We have been assured that all reports are fully investigated and appropriate action is taken.
If you do this then it will help keep wp.com a spam/link farm free place and a nicer place to be.
Peace.
Collin
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@TT-
clearly, you didn’t read very far on darwin dating. this afternoon, i’ll fill out a proper report, as mark suggests.
@Mark-
you’re right, as a Rule, ‘must be the owner of the business’ definately fails. but that’s just a suggestion that you should have a more clear guideline thandoes not contain unethical or unwanted commercial content designed to drive traffic to third party sites or boost the search engine rankings of third party sites
The idea that links inside posts are ‘unwanted’, where sidebar links are ok, is not conveyed by the above language.
@artpromote-
on my own site, i don’t link to wordpress for similar reasons, despite the software itself being non pareil. -
*rotflmao* :O
Heavy handed? WOAH – you’ve got to be kidding!
And just look who is talking.
(1) Your wife’s signature on every post your wife makes on her own business blog, under the header that has become her business banner equals the variety of heavy (heady) handedness that reeks of ego maniacal masculine overkill in advertising to me. *lol*(2) Choosing to allow you to be her business megaphone doesn’t look well on her if she truly wants to be accepted as a credible and fully functional business person in her own right. *lol*
(3) If my husband tried to bulldoze his way into my business affairs and make me look like an incompetent wimp by doing so he would be looking for a new home. *lol*
Too funny – thanks for the comic relief. :D
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Timethief – I didn’t choose anyone to be my (as you call it) “megaphone”. My husband decided to run with this as I’ve been too busy today being a “credible business person” making money :-)
As far as I’m concerned I totally can’t understand what all the fuss is about a silly link at the end of each of my blogs. If this WordPress service is so against it for whatever reason and singled out my blog to make an example, well, I can live with it.
As far as my own business is concerned, it certainly doesn’t and never will rely on WordPress. I’ve been in business too long to have to rely on anyone :-)
With regards to the comic relief; I too find all this a little silly.
Judy
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